Elegant Beings
by Small-eyes
Summary: Ayuzawa Misaki loves her job as a photographer. She doesn't mind running around all day just to record the glamorous moments of other people, but she does mind how a certain cheeky model does not cooperate with photo shoots. However, silently and unintentionally, this certain model started changing Misaki's life.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own anything.**

 **Thank you to Tsuray for test reading the first chapter of this story.**

 **Elegant Beings**

 _Snap! Snap!_ Flashing lights and clicking shutter sounds filled up the small, cramped studio. Everyone in the studio were either busy doing what they're supposed to do, or prepared to back up for any emergency. Models displayed their best smiles and facial expression in front of the small device. Among all these busy people, only one person remained on her own pace.

" Great smile!" A cheerful voice complimented as a slender finger pressed on the button. Under the bright lights of the set a her long lock of raven colored ponytail glimmered. Though the camera was covering up most of her decent facial features, people could still feel the passion she has for her job through her auburn eyes.

This woman's name is Ayuzawa Misaki, a young photographer who works as a fashion photographer for the fashion magazine, _HANA._ At the age of 25 she accomplished more than the other photographers her age. It's not because she has extraordinary talent, but she started earlier than the other photographers. When Misaki was still in middle school, her father left the family a large debt and evaporated from this planet. Hence, at the age of 15, Misaki started working as a part timer in the _Hana_ photography studio. Eventually, she became a photography assistant, then a professional photographer herself. It was only recently when Misaki finally payed off the debt.

"That's a wrap. Thank you for your cooperation." Misaki announced with her delighted voice that the shoot today was over.

"Finally!" The workers cheered and clapped. It didn't take long for them to clean up the studio.

"If you guys can clean up this fast, why can't you guys set up at the same speed?" Misaki teased her colleagues as she cleaned up her own area.

"Ahhhh~ whatever." The make up artist made a face and rapidly placed all her blush and eye shadows into a small bag.

"Any plans for today?" One of the workers asked Misaki.

"Sakura invited me to go try out this restaurant with her." Misaki answered.

"I was thinking if you wanted to go drink with us." The worker explained. "Well that sounds like a no."

"Sorry, maybe next time." Misaki replied with a smile and zipped up her camera bag. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Bye!" All the people in the studio greeted.

...

"This taste so gooddd!" A pink haired cute girl squealed with her mouth occupied by a small bite of opera cake.

"Sakura, you might want to wipe your mouth," A girl with a serious face and thick round glasses suggested.

"Is it really that good?" Misaki asked.

"Yes it is!" The pinkish brown haired girl replied, though her face was filled with ganache stains, it was still visible that she has a very cute face.

Hanazono Sakura, one of Misaki's best friends, she currently works for the editorial department of _Hana_. She is best known for her optimistic mind and the truck loads of men after her. Interestingly this naive girl has a secret, she is secretly dating a popular rock star.

"It's probably time for you to learn some table manners." A serious faced girl pushed her glasses and suggested.

Kaga Shizuko, a very serious girl who can say offensive things without even feeling guilty, also one of Misaki's best friends. With her cruel and vigorous personality, she puts these traits for a good use in the financial department of _Hana._

"Believe me, she turns into something else in front of Ku..." Misaki casually said as she took a sip of her drink.

"Shhh! Misaki!" Rapidly, Sakura made sure Misaki didn't say the full name.

"Come on, we all know!" Shizuko glared at Sakura.

"Hmmmmmppphhhhh~~~~" Sakura pouted. "You guys are so mean..."

"This is what happens when you're the only one dating in a group." Shizuko did a face at Sakura.

"Hahahahaahahaha-" Misaki just simply laughed as she watched her two friends fought.

 _Ding~_ It was Misaki's phone, a message just came through. Misaki took her phone out and read the message, it was from Yukimura, her assistant.

 _Sorry to bother you at this time, Ayuzawa-san. I just received an emergency case. The men section is one photographer short for tomorrow. I will send the details to you through e-mail. Thank you for reading the message._

 _-Yukimura_

"Who is it from?" Shizuko asked.

"Possible boyfriend?" Sakura excitedly asked.

"No, just Yukimura." Misaki coldly said. "Work."

"Ehhh~ Why is Misaki's love life so boring?" Sakura whined.

"I have a friend who has a melodramatic romance already." Slowly, Misaki stood up from the table. "Work is priority now."

"Going home now?" Shizuko asked.

"It's better if I make sure what this job will be about first. If I want to reject it, then I have to reject it fast." From her wallet, Misaki took out some cash. "Here's my share for tonight, and bye."

"Safe trip home." Shizuko and Sakura reminded.

Cold and crisp was the only explanation for a winter night, that was the only thing Misaki thought as she walked down the streets. She zipped up her jacket, wrapped her hand knitted scarf around her neck, and walked faster; the faster she gets to the train station, the faster there will be warmth. As she rushed down the streets, though it was only a flash, a large advertisement caught her eye. It was a branded suit commercial, it was printed in black and white, and it was simply a good-looking man dressed in a suit looking straight back at the viewers. The male model had his spiky looking hair pulled to the back, and a pair of breath-taking eyes. Misaki took three seconds to look at the advertisement, then she frowned. The print quality of the large poster was so awful, it made Misaki's stomach cringe.

"I'm home." Misaki habitually said when she entered her little apartment. Starting at the age of 20, Misaki moved out of her mother's house for a more convenient access to her work place. Misaki's apartment was fairly small, just enough space for herself, but the rent was acceptable.

The first thing Misaki did when she entered her apartment was to take a shower. After a day of work, Misaki needed a shower to energize her body and mind. Finishing her shower, Misaki changed into a set of comfortable clothes, but she didn't bother to dry her hair with a hair dryer. Drying her wet hair with a towel, Misaki sat down onto the floor and turned on her laptop that sat on her short table. First thing, Misaki checked her mail. The usual routine for workaholic Misaki.

"Let me see... here it is!" The little cursor moved towards a mail that was recently sent by Yukimura. "So this new case is..."

The summary of the case was a little special combination between _Hana_ and _Yume_. _Yume_ , is a male fashion magazine that belongs to the same publishing company as _Hana_. While _Hana_ has mostly female readers, _Yume_ has their market targeted on teenage boys. However, in this case Misaki received, _Yume_ planned to do a special edition relating to the fashion of men around the age of early 20's to early 30's. The purpose of this project was to capture the transition of boys to men.

"This sounds interesting..." Misaki said to herself as she continued to scroll down the document. "Do they have the model list yet?"

"They didn't send that to me." A little nervous, Yukimura was scared that his boss might reject the case due to the lack of information.

"I do trust the taste of the people from _Yume_... and I really like the theme of this edition." Misaki nodded as she read about the details. "The childish mask under adult men..."

"Then... I will give them a reply right now." Yukimura said with a slight relieve.

"Ok, thanks." Misaki thanked her assistant. "Have a good night."

Stretching her arms high in the air, Misaki decided that it was about time for her to go to sleep. Due to her habit, Misaki likes to sit beside her window as she drinks a cup of warm milk to enhance her desire to sleep. Like the usual days, she opened her window and watch the city lights shine. With her personal camera, Misaki took a few shots of the beautiful scenery. Living alone is hard, especially when you're far away from the family members you love. By taking pictures of cityscapes, Misaki reminded herself that she's not the only one in this city away from her family, trying to make a living.

"Time to sleep." Misaki reminded herself and finished her cup of warm milk. After brushing her teeth, Misaki snuggled into her single bed as she slowly entered charging mode.

Waking up earlier than usual, Misaki stood in front of her closet for a quite a long time. Looking at her collection of clothes, Misaki searched for the perfect garment to appear professional. Afterall, she'll be working in another studio today. Though _Hana_ and _Yume_ , these two magazines, belong to the same publishing company, a competition in sales has always linked the two branches together. It's not a serious competition, but rather each magazine branch has their pride. As a result, Misaki wanted to appear as professional as she can.

" _White t-shirt with semi-formal suits jacket?"_ Looking at the combination, Misaki frowned. " _They're going to say I'm too serious for a photographer."_

Putting the two items back, Misaki scanned through her very small closet.

" _Leather jacket..."_ Nodding, Misaki felt that she finally found the right one. Afterall, leather jacket always gives off a slightly artistic and badass feeling.

Wearing a simple white t-shirt, slim fit black pants, and her leather jacket, Misaki carried her white canvas backpack and head out of her small apartment. Another day of work, another day of productivity was about to start.

...

Entering the usual building Misaki would enter every morning, she arrived on a different floor. Once the elevator door opened, a scene of busy people walking around entered Misaki's eyes. Knowing that she has no time to waste, Misaki ran towards the desk and asked the lady to guide her to her assigned photo studio. After receiving directions, Misaki speed walked to the studio. At the entrance of the studio stood Yukimura and another man. In an instant, Misaki recognized the man with green yellow hair and yellow eyes, Igarashi Tora, also the head editor of _Yume_.

"Ayuzawa-san!" Seeing Misaki's arrival, Yukimura waved.

"I'm here." Misaki said to Yukimura, she then turned to the man next to her. "Nice to meet you, I'm Ayuzawa Misaki."

"Nice to meet you." Tora Igarashi greeted back. "We won in sales last week."

"I know." Gently, Misaki smiled. "We're leading in this week's sales."

For a moment, Misaki and Igarashi Tora just stared at each other with fiery eyes.

"I think that's enough of the rival play." Misaki shrugged. Afterall, they're both adults. "Whose photo am I in charge today."

"Here." Passing a profile to her, Igarashi Tora continued. "Usui Takumi."

"New model?" Upon receiving the profile, Misaki continued to read.

"He's popular overseas." Igarashi Tora added. "Read the profile, I have a meeting to attend."

"Understood." Misaki replied.

"Good luck with him." Igarashi Tora smiled and walked away.

Once Igarashi Tora walked away, Misaki and Yukimura entered the studio. While the crew set up the set for the photo, Misaki sat at the side ready to read the profile. The moment Misaki took the papers out of the folder, she thought the paper was glowing. Though it was a simple identification photo, this model going with the name of Usui Takumi had the most perfect facial ratio Misaki has ever seen. Spiky blonde hair that glowed under the light, and a pair of emerald eyes. Looking through the other information about this model, Misaki saw the number 186 right next to height.

"He's born to be a model..." Murmuring to herself, Misaki can't believe that this particular individual hasn't create a massive explosion of teen ovaries all over Japan. "He's only 21..."

"Ayuzawa-san, please check the set." Speaking softly right next to Misaki, Yukimura said.

"Let me see." Standing up, Misaki walked towards the set. As Misaki walked to the position where the camera stand was, she realized the messy electric cords on the floor. Perhaps, this studio has been so busy to even organize these tangled lines.

A white backdrop, a grey couch in the center, and black colored children toys scattered all over the floor.

"This should do." Misaki nodded. "Let's work our best today!"

"Yes." The whole crew replied.

Not soon after the preparations were completed, the studio door opened. Entering the room, were a group of people. These people included the makeup crew, and some other people from the other departments. Oddly, they are all woman. In the middle of the crowd, a tall and astonishing looking man walked into the studio. It was Usui Takumi, surrounded by a bunch of woman he probably didn't know.

"What's with the people from the editorial department?" One of the photography crew asked.

"We're here to check the progress of the photo session." A woman in the group justified.

"Yeah! It's our job!" A rather young employee said.

"Please leave." Pointing at the extra people entering the room, Misaki commanded. "This is a professional workplace, not a place to mingle. Please practice some work ethics."

"Hey!" One woman yelled at Misaki.

"I need to work." With a cold tone, Usui Takumi looked at all the woman beside him. "Please exit."

Cold and mean, those were the words to describe Usui Takumi's glare. After the warning, the crowd slowly dissolved, leaving on the makeup artist standing right next to Usui Takumi.

"Now that things are cleared." Smiling at Usui Takumi, Misaki introduced. "I'm Ayuzawa Misaki, your photographer for this session. Nice to meet you."

"Usui Takumi." Usui Takumi slightly bowed. "I'll be in your care for today."

"It's my pleasure." Misaki replied.

It didn't take long for the photography session to start. As a photographer, Misaki was excited. Not only does the theme of this photo shoot truly excite, but the whole crew from the lighting assistant to the makeup artist, everyone were individuals with high reputation in their respective business.

Starting the photo session with a series of mature looking pictures, Misaki was amazed by Usui's performance. Even though he sat right next to a pile of children's toy, everything appeared to be mysterious. In one particular series of photos, Usui rolled the sleeves of his long sleeve shirt up as he slowly looked up into the camera. After taking a ton of great photo of Usui's mature photos, Misaki thought it was about time to gradually transit to the childish photos.

"Usui-san, do you mind posing with one of the props?" Misaki requested.

Holding the black train figure up, Usui smiled.

The whole studio froze.

Presented in front of them, was the most awkward smile of the century.

"Perhaps a little bit happier?" Misaki asked.

Usui grinned.

"Sorry, I meant playful." Misaki corrected herself. " _No wonder Igarashi wished me luck."_

Once again, Usui picked up a few props and posed. However, the smile looked either extremely fake or scary enough to scare children away. Even after a few attempts, there weren't any good results. Suddenly, Misaki looked closer into the photos. Through her lense, she saw lies.

"Can you stop acting nervous and take this photo shoot seriously?" Switching her focus from the Usui through the lens to the Usui standing in front of her, Misaki questioned.

"Who said I'm not serious?" A smirk appeared across Usui's face.

"Really?" Misaki sighed. That smirked confirmed Usui's attitude about the photo shoot.

"How about this?" Sitting on the couch with his leg crossed, Usui stuck his tongue out.

"What's so fun playing around with us?" Misaki asked.

"No, I'm not playing around." Acting oblivious, Usui replied.

Staring at the model in front of her, Misaki endured her anger of smashing Usui's handsome face into the wall.

"I'll deal with him alone, all you guys can exit for now." Turning back, Misaki said to the troubled photography crew.

"Are you sure?" Yukimura slowly walked up to Misaki with concern.

"It's a one on one." Misaki turned to the model lying lazily on the couch.

One by one, the crew members exited the indoor studio. Only Usui and Misaki were left in the room filled with tension bright lights. Since the lighting assistant also left the room, Misaki made a few setting changes on her camera to avoid taking bad quality photos.

"Do you really think you will take better pictures with just you and I in the studio?" With a challenging tone, Usui asked.

"Well-" Without a warning, Misaki tripped onto one of the electric cords coiling up on the floor.

"Hahahahahahahaha" Seeing the woman older than him fall, caused Usui to laugh outloud.

"It's not funny!" Shouting, at the good looking model in front of her, Misaki couldn't endure her anger anymore. The embarrassment Misaki felt, hinder the mature content in her.

A tensed and serious silence swirled around the room.

"Pfft!" Unable to control his laughter, Usui lost control of his own behavior. "Hahahahahahahahahaha"

"What's so funny?" Angrily, Misaki whack the electric cord in her hands onto the floor.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha" Nothing could stop Usui's laughter, nothing.

"No seriously!" Misaki stomped her feet onto the floor.

"You look like a softcore SM queen." Smirking, Usui added. "Queen Misa."

"What?" Confused by Usui's words, Misaki said as a reflex.

"You're wearing leather, and the cord looks like a whip in your hands." Finally able to control a little bit of his laughter, Usui explained. "Fifty Shades of Misaki."

"..." For Misaki, it wasn't funny at all. "What should I say? Thank you? Now, can we take some decent photos?"

"Take it like you do, take take take it like you do." Singing his parody version of a certain famous movie theme song, Usui entered the famous french girl pose. Lying on his side, with one hand on his hip and his head resting on the other hand.

 _Snap!_ Misaki took the picture like what Usui instructed.

"..." The sound of the camera shutter, shocked Usui. He didn't expect Misaki to take advantage of the situation, since she's such a serious person.

"Go on." A smile appeared on Misaki's face, with her camera in her hand.

"You truly caught me off guard." Smirking, Usui sat back up.

"Don't get too cheeky." Sticking her tongue out, Misaki felt like she finally got her revenge. "Go on. Continue."

Bringing her camera with her, Misaki leaped onto the couch Usui sat on. Looking down onto Usui's face through the camera lenses, Misaki took more shots

"What's with that face? Show me something more human." Misaki demanded.

"That's sadistic of you." Usui smirked.

"..." Misaki took off her leather jacket, the studio's temperature was increasing anyway.

"You didn't have to treat my words so seriously." Another cheeky yet natural smile appeared on Usui's face again.

"Sure." Misaki took another picture of Usui. "Nice candid."

Turning the small screen of her camera towards Usui, Misaki displayed a picture of Usui half blinking with his mouth open. Though Usui truly has astonishing facial features, he still can't escape the curse of candid photos ruining his original face.

"This should be the cover." Turning the camera back, Misaki giggled.

"You're not any more mature than me." Usui chuckled.

"Well, I have more experience than you." Taking another photo, Misaki said.

"Such as what?" With a suggestive facial expression, Usui purposely asked.

"Such as escaping from sexualized conversations." Coldly, Misaki said. Working in an industry related to the entertainment industry, Misaki has seen authorities abusing their powers and ask some malicious questions.

"No fun." Resting his head on the back of the couch, Usui complained.

"Then what's fun for you?" Sitting down, Misaki took a photo of Usui leaning his head against the back of the couch while looking straight at the camera. Usui's nonchalant sexiness has been expressed in one simple photo.

"Teasing you." Smiling, Usui said.

"An actual hobby." Rolling her eyes, Misaki can't believe that she's dealing with this young model.

"Playing with cats." Usui replied.

"Pfft." Dropping her camera lightly onto the couch, Misaki started laughing. She can't imagine this good looking model in front of her rolling on the floor with cute kittens. Then Misaki imagined Usui rolling on a marble floor with only a pair of Calvin Klein underwear while covered in cat fur. "Hahahahahahaahaha"

"Nice shot." Picking up Misaki's camera, Usui took a photo of the grinning lady in front of him.

"Hey! Give the camera back!" Frowning, Misaki realized she has been caught off guard.

"No problem." Usui passed the camera back to Misaki.

Receiving the camera back, Misaki found a picture of her mouth wide open and the muscles on her forehead squishing into a pile. An absolutely stunning photo in terms of scariness.

"Don't delete that." Before Misaki clicked on any buttons, Usui warned.

"It's going." Misaki didn't take in Usui's words.

"Not the ugly one, the one with you smiling." Usui said.

"They're both going." Pressing a few buttons, Misaki erased the proof of her not concentrating during her work hours.

"Are you sure you're only 4 years older than me?" Tilting his head backwards, Usui asked.

"There's no argument with age, it's a number that changes in roughly 365 days." Snapping a few more photos, Misaki answered.

"You're right." Bringing one knee up, Usui rested his head on the knee while still staring at Misaki. Without a warning, a sweet smile appeared.

"..." Taking the photo of the moment, Misaki was shocked by the picture she took. No words could describe the vibe from the still frame. Unable to comprehend with this illogical model in front of her, Misaki said, "You're weird."

"I prefer the term unique." Usui's usual mysterious smile replaced the sweet smile.

Somehow, without the whole photography crew within the room, the photography session with Usui happened swiftly. Initially, Misaki had a bad feeling about the photos, since Usui wasn't truly cooperative in the beginning. Instead, Misaki took some of the most beautiful pictures in her career.

"You're a good model, have confidence in yourself." Going through the photos, Misaki said to Usui.

"I'm filled with confidence." Usui replied.

"My lens don't lie." From many photos, Misaki saw insecurity in Usui's eyes. There was something that bothered him.

"So does my hips." With a straight face, Usui started rotating his pelvis area.

"I'm done with you." Sighing, Misaki walked towards the door of the studio.

"I'm not done yet." Usui's deep and rational voice paused Misaki's action from opening the door.

Turning around, Misaki realized she was trapped by Usui at the door. He was standing so close to Misaki that she could feel his soft breathing landing on the tip of her head. Looking up, Misaki made eye contact with the pair of emerald eyes. They stared at each other for a good while. The longer Misaki stared into Usui's emerald eyes, she felt like their heartbeats slowly synchronized with each others. It was a feeling Misaki never felt before.

"You forgot your SM costume." Pushing the door open, Usui left Misaki's leather jacket on her head, then left the studio.

"I hope you turn allergic to cat fur." Unwilling to admit the mini defeat, Misaki shouted back.

With his back facing Misaki, Usui continued to walk away from the studio. Bringing up his left hand, Usui pointed a 'V' with his two fingers.

"Cheeky brat." Grunting, Misaki crossed her arms while her leather jacket still remained on her head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry that it took me such a long time to write chapter 2.**

 **I don't own anything.**

 **Elegant Beings**

Misaki thought that she would never meet Usui again after that slightly unique photoshoot. What she didn't expect was that after a month since the magazine was published, she began seeing Usui everywhere. Literally, everywhere. Standing in the middle of the street, Misaki never felt so pressured. She looked to her left, 2 large posters of Usui. She turned to her right, more posters of Usui. She looked straight, the large television attached to the building was playing a new ad, you guessed it, with Usui in it.

"How?" Unable to believe the scene in front of her, Misaki said to herself.

Little did Misaki know, while she took lovely photos in the studio, Usui's existence raged through the different social media sites and different television shows. Everyone was talking about the new model in the industry. By the time Misaki realized, Usui was everywhere. Almost all the trendy fashion brands used Usui as their new face of the season, even random electronic brands decided to put Usui in their commercials. As a result, occasionally on television you can see Usui using a vacuum cleaner; no lines, just him vacuuming the floor.

"Misaki!" A voice came from the back of Misaki.

"!" Pulling her mind back to reality, Misaki looked back. It was none other than her two best friends, Sakura and Shizuko. "You guys are here!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Shizuko calmly apologized.

"No it's fine. I came here 10 minutes early, you two are on time." Looking at her wrist watch, Misaki said.

"I can't wait to go to the new cat cafe!" Sakura expressed her excitement.

"Let me check the location on noogle maps." Clicking through her apps, Shizuko said. "There."

"Misaki, why did you looked extremely confused just now?" While following Shizuko, Sakura asked Misaki.

"Well... I just realized how scary media is." Shrugging, Misaki said.

"What do you mean?" Shizuko asked. "Take a left turn."

"This cat cafe is sure located in a secretive place." Sakura commented.

"One of the models I worked with suddenly became famous, his popularity skyrocketed so fast it's scary." Misaki shivered.

"I think we're here." Shizuko stopped. "Let's all go in."

"Sure!" After replying Shizuko, Sakura turned to Misaki and said. "That sounds scary."

"I feel like I see him everywhere." Sighing, Misaki walked into the cat cafe.

Literally, everywhere. The moment Misaki stepped into the cat cafe, with the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a certain customer. A certain customer who sat in the playing area with a small cat in his lap. No doubt, it was Usui Takumi. There was no way Misaki could have mistaken that face, that hair, and that perfect figure.

"If you ignore it, it will disappear." Turning her head to the side, Misaki murmured to herself as if she saw a spirit or something.

"Misaki, why aren't you coming?" Frowning, Shizuko looked at Misaki while wondering why Misaki acted oddly today.

"Oh! Ok!" Coming back into her sense, Misaki turned around and dashed towards the table her friends sat.

"Everything looks so cute!" Looking through the menu, Sakura commented.

"I wonder how long it takes to train the employees to create all these cute looking food." Frowning, Shizuko said.

"Yeah... I wonder..." Misaki's eyes couldn't help but glance at the corner where she spotted Usui.

To be honest, Misaki wasn't quite sure why she was so nervous about meeting Usui outside of her workplace. Within her mind, Misaki continued to tell herself that she should calm down and act maturely. Suddenly, two mini Misaki's popped into Misaki's imaginary platform.

"Calm down, it's just another model you met at work." Mini Misaki A said.

"Yeah, but he's like super hot." Mini Misaki B took a sip of her store bought latte.

"There's good looking people everywhere in your workplace!" Mini Misaki A pointed out.

"He did a Shakira dance for you. Remember?" Mini Misaki B raised her eyebrows.

"I see I see" Mini Misaki A nodded, then came up with a conclusion. "As a Misaki, my inexperience of the opposite gender is causing myself to be extremely nervous, especially with a man who is not afraid of you. In addition, you two shared a small moment in the studio! It's all because that you are inexperienced with men!"

"That's right that's right." Mini Misaki B agreed.

Agreeing with the two mini versions of herself inside her head, Misaki felt more comfortable.

"Misaki! Misaki!" Sakura's voice called Misaki back into reality again.

"I'm sorry, yes?" Taking a deep breath, Misaki then looked at her friends.

"Your order." Shizuko whispered.

Turning to her left, Misaki saw the waitress smiling kindly.

"Sorry!" Scanning through the menu really fast, Misaki soon decided on one item. "I'll have the pancakes."

"Thank you for your order." The waitress wrote down the last order, then proceeded to make some explanations about the cat cafe. "Right now we are in the dining area, and the cats are all in the playground in the other side of the room. Please play with the cats in the play area. These two areas are divided for hygiene reasons. Also, all these cats are for adoption. Please enjoy your stay here."

"Thank you." The three ladies thanked the waitress.

Smiling, the waitress walked towards the kitchen to send in the new orders. Looking around the cafe, Misaki noticed the cafe uses a lot of wood for the interior design which creates a warm and cozy feeling. She really liked how this cafe made her feel, perhaps she should construct a photoshoot with this type of atmosphere.

"I like how they divide the dining and the playground." Shizuko added.

"What if someone wants to eat and play with the cats at the same time?" Sakura asked.

"Respect the rules." Taking a drink of her water, Shizuko sighed.

"Let's go play with some cats." Sakura suggested.

Cold sweat slowly dripped down Misaki's forehead. Though she convinced herself that staying in the same room with Usui may not be such a bad idea, but she's not ready to interact with him. With her back facing the playground, she can't confirm if Usui left the play area yet.

"Let's go play with the cats after we have food, how about that?" Misaki suggested as her two thumbs circled each other out of anxiety.

"I don't think the food will come soon, I guess playing with the cats is a good time killing activity." Looking at her watch, Shizuko suggested.

"What if the food comes while we're enjoying our time with the cats?" Forcing herself to make an excuse, Misaki blurted.

"I don't think that's such a concern..." Sakura replied.

"Err Err Err...!" Misaki quickly turned her head around to take a quick glance. A part of her was hoping that Usui was already gone.

"Yo." The man sitting in the play area said silently with a single wave from his right hand.

" _Oh god, he's still there."_ Thinking to herself, Misaki quickly turned around and hid her face. She thought Usui didn't notice her, but since the moment she walked in, Usui had his eyes on Misaki the whole time.

"Did that man just say hi to us?" Shizuko frowned.

"Definitely not! Hahahahaha..." Misaki knew her actions were suspicious, but she didn't know how to react either.

"He looks awfully familiar." Squinting her eyes, Sakura tried to recall where she saw Usui's face.

"Well... maybe on the streets...?" Misaki's not exactly wrong, considering that Usui's face is everywhere now.

While Misaki tried avoid any contact with Usui, Usui stood up and left the play area. His action of standing up caused some cats in the play area to purl. He approached the entrance of the door and exit the cafe.

"Thank you for coming!" The waitress cheerfully greeted.

Turning around, Misaki saw the closing the door and the absent space in the play area. Clearly, Usui left the cafe. Usui realized that his presence caused Misaki to be extra nervous around her friends. As a gentlemen, he didn't want to cause Misaki to be so anxious around her friends on a holiday. So he left. No, but things didn't end there. Not long after Usui left the cafe, a ringing sound distracted Misaki from her little with her friends.

 _Ring~ Ring~ Ring~_

"Sorry, it's my phone." Pulling her phone out of her bag, Misaki looked at the lighted screen.

"From who?" Sakura asked.

"Unknown number." However, Misaki was used to receiving calls from unknown people. Her job requires her to have contact with all sorts of people from the fashion industry. "I think it's work related, I'll go take the call."

Speed walking towards the door, Misaki exited the cafe and took the call.

"Hello, this is Ayuzawa from the _Hana_ photography department." The usual phrase Misaki uses for a business call.

"Hello, this is a random alien from planet pheromone." Though this voice came from the little device in Misaki's hands, another voice source came from Misaki's side.

"Wah!" Turning around, Misaki saw Usui standing silently on her left side. "Usui?!"

"That was cold of you, pretending you didn't know me and such." Raising one of his eyebrows, Usui displayed an unimpressed attitude.

"We don't have such a close relationship." After she hung up the phone, Misaki crossed her arms and defended back.

"We spent more than an hour in a room, with just us, and you looked through my body from head to toe." Making everything sound highly suggestive, Usui purposely put on an innocent looking puppy face.

"That was a photoshoot, and I didn't look through your body from head to toe." Rolling her eyes, Misaki didn't understand why she had to stand there and talk to this illogical individual.

"I felt your stare through your camera lens." Usui said.

"..." Looking at Usui with a straight face, Misaki realized she didn't need to stay there and let Usui tease her. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever, I'm going in."

"You're not gonna ask me how I got your phone number?" Tilting his head, Usui asked.

"Yeah! How did you get my phone number?" A sudden realization hit Misaki in the face.

"I won a bet from Igarashi Tora." Smirking, Usui announced.

"What?" Frowning even harder, Misaki asked.

"On the copies of magazine that will be sold." Usui said with a nonchalant manner.

"Why do I feel betrayed in a sense?" Crossing her arms, Misaki said.

"Don't be, don't be. Igarashi Tora didn't really want to give me your phone number, but I won the bet so he didn't have a choice." Usui soon defended.

"It would have been great if he informed me." Snorting, Misaki then added. "I would really appreciate a simple action like that."

"Actually, I got your phone number in case I get to select a photographer to work with in the future." Putting his phone in his pocket, Usui then said. "I really like your photos."

"Um... thank you?" Facing this unexpected compliment, Misaki didn't know how to react.

"It was cool meeting you outside of a studio today." Picking a small basket at the side of him, Usui continued. "But I have to bring this little lady home first."

"Hm?" Looking into the basket, Misaki saw a tiny little kitten. "You adopted one?"

"I had to." Staring at the little furball in the basket, Usui displayed a gentle smile. "Came to this cafe a few days ago and saw this one, and it seemed like she wanted to go home with me. That's why I'm here today."

"...!" That smile, made Misaki blush really hard. Though she may not necessarily like the way Usui talk to her, but Misaki can't deny that Usui looks are the definition of perfection. "Y-You should come out with some disguise, some shades or something. You're famous now."

"Thanks for the advice." Usui smiled. "I'm just enjoying the last few moments of freedom outside before I truly become recognizable to the public."

"Your face is everywhere on the streets." Misaki pointed out.

"I'll figure out a way if people recognize me." Usui put up his usual smile. "Good bye. See you around."

"Good bye." Misaki greeted back.

Walking out of the small alley, Misaki watched Usui walk away with a small basket with his hands. The busy city lights poured into the dark alley, forming an interesting lighting on Usui's disappearing back. Taking out her phone, Misaki unconsciously took a photo of the lonely man and his new companion in the basket.

 _Ka-sha!_

Misaki forgot the loud shutter sound of her phone camera.

Usui looked back.

Enlarging her eyes while taking in a deep breath, there was no doubt that Misaki was definitely caught. She stared at Usui for 0.1 seconds, then quickly dashed back into the cat cafe.

"Pfftt!" Unable to control his voice, Usui began to laugh out loud. "Hahahahahahahahahaha"

Usui stood still in the dark alley for a while, he stared at the entrance of the cat cafe. He just couldn't get enough of Misaki's reaction. Unexpectedly clumsy, that's what Usui thought of Misaki at that moment.

"Is she really older than me?" Chuckling, Usui said. Slowly, he walked out of the dark alley and easily blended himself into the busy crowd of the street.

The sole reason why Usui was sure that he no one would recognize him was not because he underestimated his own popularity, it's because Usui truly believes that the people in general are too egoistic to care about anything other than themselves.

...

Opening the large wooden door, Usui stepped into the luxurious condominium without saying anything. He gently placed the basket on the floor, and took the little kitten out. Landing it's four limbs onto the smooth wooden floor, the kitten then turned around and looked at Usui with it's large lime yellow eyes.

"This is your new home." Usui said to the kitten.

"New home?"

Usui looked up. While maintaining a straight face, he greeted. "Hello, Igarashi Tora."

"Where did this cat come from?" Raising his eyebrows, Igarashi Tora asked.

"I adopted it." Usui answered.

"I don't even have the energy to debate with you." Sighing, Igarashi Tora turned around and walked towards the living room. He sat down at the sofa and took a sip of his bottled mineral water. "When are you leaving my place?"

"I wouldn't have been here if you put me in such a lousy model dormitory." Walking into the living room, Usui said. He walked towards the kitchen and took out a bottle of orange juice from the fridge.

"It's not my fault that your flat mate parties too much." Igarashi Tora said.

"I'm not a party pooper, but I can't live in an apartment with moaning sounds." Coldly, Usui stated.

"So you came to me? I don't see the logic." Igarashi Tora frowned.

"I work in your father's agency. The debt of a father should be returned by the son." The actual reason Usui came to Igarashi Tora's place was because, this was the only address he knew in Japan.

"He took you into the agency because your family asked." Smirking, Igarashi Tora turned to face Usui. "In another sense you are indebted to my family."

"You're just recycling trash for them."


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own anything.**

 **Elegant Beings**

" _Who exactly is Usui Takumi?"_ Misaki asked herself as she organized the photos she took for the past season. As she scrolled through her digital gallery, she saw the series of photos she took for Usui. Though her interaction with Usui was quite limited, but she just simply can't take Usui off her mind. However, not in a romantic way. For Misaki, she doesn't understand why Usui would start his model career in Japan. He had an established career overseas, but he decided to come to Japan and literally start from 0. Turning off her camera, Misaki closed her eyes.

"Too much Usui for today." Covering her eyes with her palm, Misaki massaged the areas around her eye socket to release some eye pressure.

 _Knock! Knock!_ Two knocks on the door alarmed Misaki from her short break.

"Come in!" Misaki replied to the knocks.

"It's me." Opening the door, Yukimura entered the door with a folder in his hands.

"New assignment?" Turning her chair so that she was facing Yukimura, Misaki asked. "For the next issue?"

"No, it's a drama promotion photoshoot." Yukimura replied. "They want their promotional posters to look like magazine covers, so they decided to recruit fashion photographers."

"I see I see." Flipping through the document, Misaki commented. "It's quite a smart idea, since the heroine is a model. Does this project clash with any other projects?"

"Not that I know of." Yukimura replied.

"I'll go inform the head editor not to assign me any photoshoots for that day." Standing up, Misaki informed Yukimura. "Thanks, as always."

"It's part of my job." Nodding, Yukimura looked at Misaki with eyes of admiration. He truly respected Misaki from the bottom of his heart.

Exiting her office, Misaki walked towards the editor's office. Speaking about the editor of _Hana_ , she's truly a mysterious woman. This mysterious woman's name is Kinoshita Sonoka, however she goes by the name 'Honoka' instead. Despite her name 'Sonoko' has the beautiful meaning of 'garden child', it also sounds like 'that kid'. She couldn't live with the pun, so she insists people at work to call her 'Honoka' instead. The perfect word that describes her working style is 'controversial'. Often times Honoka's appearance would deceive many people. Despite her harmless appearance, she has quite the sadistic mind. Harsh yet critical comments are nothing but the usual from Honoka. In the past, she received several employee complaints on her unfiltered critiques. Yet, no one can deny that her working style does bring efficiency to the whole department.

"Get ready..." Taking a deep breath, Misaki said to herself. Though Misaki didn't do anything wrong, she still gets nervous when she has to talk to Honoka. With her right hand, Misaki knocked on the door.

 _Knock! Knock!_

There was no reply.

Misaki knocked again.

 _Knock! Knock!_

Still no reply, but the soft sounds of whisper confirmed the existence of a living being in the room.

Frowning, Misaki knocked on the door again.

 _Knock! Knock!_

"Come in." Honoka finally replied.

The little sequence before the reply caused Misaki to be a little nervous. She didn't know what to expect from behind the door. Despite all concerns, Misaki still gathered her courage and opened the door.

"Sorry to disturb." Pushing the door open, Misaki said.

"Hello, Misaki. How can I help you?" Honoka smiled and said.

"I would just like to inform that on Wednesday the 23rd, I will be heading

"Understood." Taking notes down in her planner, Honoka then looked at Misaki with her large brown eyes. She pushed some locks of her orange brown hair at the back of her small ears, then said. "I know there's an elephant in the room, but please do not talk about this elephant to people. I don't want to fire such a talented photographer like you."

"Understood." Nodding, Misaki replied. "Then I shall excuse myself."

"Please do." Honoka said.

Silently, Misaki walked out of the room and gently closed the door. She slowly blinked her eyes and took a deep breath.

" _I didn't see the intern in the fashion department."_ Misaki repeated that phrase in her mind. For Misaki she wasn't very concerned over the fact that Honoka is dating Hyodo Aoi, the intern. However, she does understand Honoka's concern. Thinking about Honoka and the intern's relationship, Misaki couldn't help but ask herself. " _Will I die alone?"_

Like the rest of the human population, Misaki also has concerns about her life. Especially about dying alone. Ever since her father betrayed her family, Misaki knew that she had trust issues. Her trust issue isn't only limited to the male population, it is to all of man's kind. Betrayal scares Misaki, just the thought of someone betraying her gives her shiver down the spine. That's why Misaki has a really small social circle. Her friends from high school, her assistant, and family. Those are the only people regularly contacts and has a certain degree of trust.

The concern of her future continued to haunt Misaki even after work. Standing in the packed train, Misaki wondered if everyone around her has the same problem as her or not. For Misaki, dying alone isn't the largest concern, but she does wish that someone will call the ambulance for her if she has a heart attack in the late 60's.

"Or should I make the emergency number as my speed dial..." Unconsciously, Misaki spoke her mind.

"What a thought." The man behind her commented.

"Pardon me?" Frowning, Misaki turned around.

"Hi." Standing behind Misaki was none other than the infamous Usui Takumi. He wore a plain t-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap. Due to the height difference, Misaki was able to see Usui's face.

"Ok, that's too much of your face for today." Closing her eyes, Misaki inhaled. "Good evening, Usui-kun."

"Good evening, milady." Smiling, Usui replied.

"I'm still surprised how no one manages to recognize you in public places." Staring at the most popular model, Misaki commented.

"Even if you put the emergency number as your speed dial, it's useless if you don't talk. They won't know who you are, where you are, and why you called. There are a lot of prank callers that harass government facilities these days." Giving a thorough analysis to Misaki, Usui then continued. "So you're still going to die alone if you do that."

"How did you know I was concerned about dying alone?" Raising one of her eyebrows, Misaki asked.

"Because I have the same thoughts too." Nonchalantly, Usui said.

"Why would you die alone?" Misaki asked.

"Well." Lightly grabbing on Misaki's shoulders, Usui pulled Misaki closer to him. "That salary man needs to get off."

"Oh." Looking to her side, Misaki then shifted herself closer to Usui.

"I don't think anyone can spend the rest of their lives with me." Replying to Misaki's question, Usui hugged Misaki lightly so the shoulders of rushing passengers on the train won't bump into Misaki.

"Why?" Misaki then asked.

"Onee-chan, you're going overboard." Teasingly, Usui said.

"Sorry if I did, just curious." Misaki apologized.

"You seem irregularly calm today." Usui commented.

"This is the usual me." Misaki lied. She contained her rage and panic inside her, because she didn't want to cause a scene on the train. "That reminds me, it's such a coincidence to see on this train."

"I had a photoshoot at _Yume_." Basically, Usui worked at the same building as Misaki.

"I thought your manager would drive you in one of those fancy cars." According to her understanding of popular models, they would always transport around by car.

"I don't have a manager." Usui replied.

"How come?" Confused, Misaki asked.

"Well there is someone who organizes work for me and kind of takes care of me." Nodding, Usui said.

"Isn't that a manager?" Raising both of her eyebrows, Misaki wasn't sure if Usui knew the definition of manager meant.

"But he's not my manager." Once again, Usui said.

"Who is he?" Misaki can never understand Usui's logic.

"Just Igarashi Tora." As if Igarashi Tora was an object or an animal, Usui answered.

"Huh?" Slowly blinking, Misaki felt confusion flowing through her veins.

"By the way, which stop are you getting off at?" Not wanting to make anymore explanations, Usui asked.

"Actually, the next stop." Understanding Usui's intentions, Misaki didn't keep asking.

Soon, the speaker within the train began broadcasting the uncomfortable mechanic sound to inform about the train approaching the next station.

"I guess that's my call." Misaki said.

"Safe walk home." Usui politely said.

"Thank you." Misaki said. Before turning towards the open door, Misaki greeted. "Good bye."

"I..." Before the door separated Usui and Misaki, Usui shouted.

Turning around, Misaki saw Usui's lips moving but the various of noises on the platform covered up Usui's voice. Rapidly the door closed, and the train raced away into the dark train track. As the strong breeze caused by the racing train rushed through Misaki's dark hair, it also brought out a sense of guilt in Misaki's heart. She had a feeling that Usui wanted to tell her something important, but she wasn't able to hear it.

Remaining in the packed train, Usui gripped his hand that held onto the handrail. Looking down at the floor, he chuckled in a rather pathetic matter. Though Misaki didn't hear what he said, but Usui revealed the reason why he wants to die alone to Misaki. Usui didn't know why out of all people, he wanted to reveal it to Misaki. Perhaps it was the packed train that sculpted Misaki as the person he was searching in the crowd, or the opening door that brought in a breeze of impulsiveness.

Concerned about what Usui wanted to tell her, Misaki took out her phone and sent him a text message.

" _I'm sorry, but I didn't hear what you said to me when I left the train. I feel very rude on now catching what you said. Is it ok if you repeat what you said before the door closed?"_

Misaki didn't receive any reply even when she got home. Though Misaki understands that everyone has a thing or two they would like to hide from people, something in her couldn't leave Usui alone. She had a feeling, a feeling that Usui was seeking for help. Before Misaki went to sleep, she checked her phone again, but there was still no reply.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own anything.**

 **Back to back chapter with chapter 3. It follows the events of chapter 3 but on Usui's side.**

 **Elegant Beings**

Flashing lights, and neatly decorated scene. Usui sat on the floor of the studio, as he listened to the commands of the photographer. While the flashing lights continued to blind his eyes and the voices of the photographer continued to deaf his ears, his mind focused on only one thought.

" _Is this how I want to spend my days?"_ As his emerald eyes stared at the camera lens, Usui thought to himself.

"Yes yes that melancholy look." The photographer commented as the sounds of blinking shutters continued.

Turning a little bit towards the camera, Usui did his signature smirk. Despite having doubts about his own life and career choice, Usui still manages to strive in this industry he questions.

" _Should I buy some oranges on my way back?"_ Shifting to another pose, Usui thought to himself.

Shifting between extremely different thoughts, that's one of Usui's bad random shift between thoughts take away his attention on many things. However, no one can really tell how he truly feels due to his mysterious aura created by his sophisticated facial features.

"That's a wrap for today." The photographer announced.

"Thank you for your hard work." Usui said to every single staff in the studio.

Walking out of the studio, Usui headed straight to the dressing room to change out of his photoshoot outfit. While most people may assume such a good looking model like Usui would wear very fashionable clothes on a normal daily basis, but Usui's most used fashion combo is no other than the classic t-shirt and jeans. To end his transformation, Usui put on a plain black cap. He grabbed his belongings and walked out of the changing room. The moment Usui walked out of the changing room, he became invisible. Despite his popularity, no one seems to recognize him when he's not in a photo studio. Taking the elevator to the parking lot, Usui texted Igarashi Tora on his way.

" _You driving?"_ Usui sent a short text to Igarashi Tora.

" _I still have work"_ It only took 3 seconds for Igarashi Tora to reply and 4 seconds for him to double text. " _I'm not your driver."_

" _Oh."_ Usui replied.

Putting his phone in his slightly worn out jean pocket, Usui took the elevator to the lobby. Walking out of the office building, no one seemed to notice him. Moving with the flow of the crowd, Usui arrived to the train station. Though it wasn't the rush hour yet, the train station was already packed with people. Pushed and shoved by the rushing passengers at the station, Usui didn't bother to even glance at the people who brought slight physical pain to him.

 _"This city is as busy as ever."_ Entering the packed train, Usui thought to himself. " _Is there anything that will lighten up this place?"_

"Do I really want to die alone...?" A familiar voice entered Usui's ears.

Searching for the voice source, Usui found a head of raven dark hair right in front of him. That speaking tone and that posture, Usui knew that moment who it was. Ayuzawa Misaki, the only person he finds interesting in this city.

" _Does she know that she's vocalizing her thoughts?"_ Staring at the little head in front of him, Usui internally chuckled.

"Or should I make the emergency number as my speed dial..." As if no one would hear her, more thoughts slipped out of.

"What a thought." Treating this occasion as a little fun activity, Usui decided to join in.

"Pardon me?" The little head turned around. As expected, it was really Ayuzawa Misaki. Her long black hair fell gently onto her shoulders. Through her auburn eyes, she conveyed her confusion towards the surprise reply.

"Hi." Usui greeted.

"Ok, that's too much of your face for today." Closing her eyes, Misaki inhaled. "Good evening, Usui-kun."

"Good evening, milady." Slightly surprised by Misaki's comment, Usui said. Though he did find that phrase from Misaki a little offensive, he decided to let it slip.

"I'm still surprised how no one manages to recognize you in public places." In a form of mockery tone, Misaki commented..

"Even if you put the emergency number as your speed dial, it's useless if you don't talk. They won't know who you are, where you are, and why you called. There are a lot of prank callers that harass government facilities these days." Usui had similar thoughts, and he truly thought it through. "So you're still going to die alone if you do that."

"How did you know I was concerned about dying alone?" Raising one of her eyebrows, Misaki asked.

"Because I have the same thoughts too." Though it would have been better if Usui told Misaki that she spoke out her own thought, but he thought it would be more convenient for Misaki to keep her habit.

"Why would you die alone?" Misaki asked.

"Well." Like a true gentlemen, Usui brought Misaki close to him so the salary man won't bump into her. "That salary man needs to get off."

"Oh." Realizing the man beside was getting off, Misaki didn't reject Usui's physical contact.

"I don't think anyone can spend the rest of their lives with me." Though it was an answer Usui made up on the spot, he can't deny that he does have that thought.

"Why?" Frowning, Misaki looked into Usui's emerald eyes..

"Onee-chan, you're going overboard." Teasingly, Usui said. He knew Misaki well enough that a nonchalant attitude works the best on her.

"Sorry if I did, just curious." Displaying a slight sense of guilt, Misaki looked to the side.

"You seem irregularly calm today." Usui commented. Which was true. On other occasions, this little lady in front of him would have acted like an 18 year old.

"This is the usual me." Attempting to justify her odd actions in front of him, Misaki then continued.. "That reminds me, it's such a coincidence to see on this train."

"I had a photoshoot at _Yume_." Now that Usui recalled, he technically works in the same office building as Misaki..

"I thought your manager would drive you in one of those fancy cars." Tilting her head while frowning, Misaki asked.

"I don't have a manager." Looking at the confused face Misaki gave him, Usui found that kind of cute.

"How come?" Frowning even deeper, Misaki asked.

"Well there is someone who organizes work for me and kind of takes care of me." Usui decided to confused this little lady even more.

"Isn't that a manager?" Raising both of her eyebrows, Misaki displayed another version of her confused face.

"But he's not my manager." Complicating things, Usui gave a vague answer.

"Who is he?" As if she was attending a physics lecture, Misaki's frown only created a higher mountain of flesh between her eyebrows.

"Just Igarashi Tora." Confusing Misaki even further, Usui answered.

"Huh?" Slowly blinking, Misaki gave up in trying to understand Usui.

"By the way, which stop are you getting off at?" Usui decided to stop his teasing actions, so he changed the topic.

"Actually, the next stop." Misaki went with flow..

Soon, the speaker within the train began broadcasting the uncomfortable mechanic sound to inform about the train approaching the next station.

"I guess that's my call." Misaki said.

"Safe walk home." Usui politely said.

"Thank you." Before turning towards the open door, Misaki greeted. "Good bye."

As Misaki walked away from Usui, he didn't want her to leave. Something in him wanted to stop her. He wanted to tell her something. For that second, Usui truly believed that Misaki might be that one person he can trust in this city. To be honest, he doesn't feel any romantic attachment to Misaki, but rather he wanted to depend on her. An intuitive sense tingled within his blood veins.

"I don't want to be used again." As the door closed, those words slipped out of Usui's mouth.

Everything happened in such a sudden, the usual calm Usui didn't know what to expect. Deep down he wished that Misaki wouldn't realize something. It was the first time, he displayed his inner thoughts to someone else. Unable to react to the situation, Usui could only stand in the packed train hoping the various noises in the platform will flood his words into the crowd.

It didn't go as what Usui wished.

Before the train finally moved away from the station, he made short eye contact through the slightly dirty glasses of the train. No doubt, Misaki displayed a facial expression of confusion. The moment didn't last long, the train soon proceeded to continue its journey down the dark train tracks.

"Seriously... hahaha." Pathetically chuckling, Usui looked down at the floor. He was laughing at himself, at his own impulsiveness. Whispering with the lightest volume, Usui murmured. "Why would you think she's the one you can depend on...?"

There exist a certain complication within Usui's mind. He doesn't wish to share his thoughts with anyone. In fact, he doesn't want anyone to understand. A part of him believes that he will bring burden to the people he share his thoughts and emotions with. As time gradually passed, Usui isolated himself from everyone else. Ever wonder why Usui was able to hide away from the public crowd? People are noticed from their desire to be noticed. One's desire to be noticed will draw other people's attention on them. However, Usui just wanted to disappear into the crowd. He didn't want anyone to notice him.

 _Ding!_ A small noise came from Usui's pocket. Taking his device out of his pocket, Usui read the text that was sent to him; from Misaki.

" _I'm sorry, but I didn't hear what you said to me when I left the train. I feel very rude on now catching what you said. Is it ok if you repeat what you said before the door closed?"_

A mixed feelings filled up Usui's heart. For the first time, someone noticed his faint call. With his thumb, Usui typed a short response, then he soon deleted it. He put his phone back into his pocket, and ignored the response. Even when he got back to Igarashi's apartment, he didn't respond to Misaki either. However, he didn't take it off his mind.

After Usui made himself dinner and played with his new kitten, he sat alone in the living room. When Igarashi Tora came back, he didn't even bother to take a glance at Igarashi Tora either (like what he always does). Usui simply sat on the couch with a cup of earl grey tea in his hands. As he inhaled the aroma of the blended tea, Usui sunk into his long trail of thoughts. Shifting his focus on the electronic device sitting on the table, Usui reached for it.

Searching through his contacts, he found that one specific name.

"A thousand mile journey starts from a step, let her be my first step."

Usui dialed Misaki's number.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the long absent (again). I had a hard time trying to find balance between university and personal life. Thank you for your patience. I sincerely apologize. One of my new year resolution for 2018 is to write more and stress less.**

 **I don't own anything.**

 **Elegant Beings**

Tossing from side to side, Misaki felt her body slowly falling into sleep but her mind was wide awake. While her raging mind controlled her body to toss around, Misaki refused to open her eyes. Misaki knew, the moment she opens her eyes, her chances of falling asleep will only decrease.

"You're tired. You need rest." Chanting as if it was a spell, Misaki gripped her slightly sweaty hands tight while keeping her eyes closed.

 _Brrrrrrr_ ~~ The vibrating sound of Misaki's mobile phone distracted Misaki's chant. Turning towards the side of the bed where her phone was charging, Misaki opened her eyes. The bright white light lit up the small corner of the room. Without having any thoughts running through Misaki's mind, she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Sitting up, Misaki scratched her head.

"Ahem, is this Ayuzawa Misaki?" A high pitched weird sounding voice came from the other end. "This is the national association of secret stuff, you have been selected to become a candidate of our next agent."

"If you called just to prank in the middle of the night, then I'm hanging up." Closing her tired eyes, Misaki sighed. Usui is probably the only person who would prank call her.

"Sorry, sorry." Nonchalantly, Usui apologized. "Just wanted to see if you're going to pick up."

"Why didn't you reply my text message?" Misaki sat up from her bed and leaned against the wall.

"I wonder why...? That was indeed rude of me." Agreeing with Misaki, Usui nodded his head on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Noticing Usui's reluctant attitude towards the text message, Misaki didn't want to bother Usui further on the topic of the text message. She knows, if Usui does not want to answer a question, he will utilize his creative brain to come up with the most bizarre ways to avoid. "So why did you call me, at this time."

"Just wanted to." Glancing at the clock, Usui realized that it was five past midnight.

"Are you feeling down?" A gut feeling in Misaki sensed the cold atmosphere.

"..." Slightly shocked, Usui didn't expect Misaki to sense his emotions through the phone.

"I'm actually quite observant. Though I'm a photographer, I work side by side to the entertainment industry." Releasing a short sigh, Misaki continued. "You should know better about than me about the importance of observing people's emotions."

"I thought a sophisticated human being like me is hard to read." Usui added.

"I wouldn't describe you as sophisticated, more like... That teenage boy who can't walk out of his melancholy thoughts." Without hindering any of her thoughts, Misaki spoke.

"Oh... really?" Chuckling, Usui continued. "You see me in that way?"

"Not exactly. You act as if everything is in your control, but actually you have given up on many things." Misaki found her answer the perfect explanation of her observation.

"So much from a photographer who only had one photo session with me." Replying to Misaki's observations, Usui's voice gave off hints of sarcasm.

"Cute little boy in his denial." Misaki let out a small giggle that echoed of mockery.

"Oh... So I'm cute?" A flirty tone came from the other side of the device.

"..." Misaki stared at the blank space in front of her eyes. Suddenly, she realized what she said. "No, no, no, that's not what I mean."

"So I'm not good looking?" Teasingly, Usui asked.

"No, you're definitely good looking. You're one of the best looking models I ever worked with." Taking in a deep breath, Misaki realized she fell into one of Usui's trap again.

"Go on." Nodding, Usui said.

"Why am I tricked by a man younger than me?" Rubbing the small space between her eyebrows, Misaki sighed.

"Plenty of women get tricked by men younger than them." Usui then added.

"I got no money or insurance payouts you can receive." Coldly, Misaki replied.

"..." A short lived silence came from the other side of the transmitting device. Following the silence was a loud laugh that glowed with happiness. "Hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha"

"It's not funny, I'm serious." With all seriousness, Misaki informed the owner of the bursting laughter.

"Hahahahaha..." Usui took a rest from his laughing and felt the pain in his abs. "Why are you so hilarious?"

"I don't understand the humor of youngsters these days." Frowning, Misaki said. "Do you know how many single women each year get tricked by younger men into marriage because of their insurance payouts?"

"We're only 4 years apart." Usui wanted to remind Misaki that they're not that much different in age. "According to the government, we fall in the same age group."

"I've seen one more olympic opening than you." Misaki added.

"Then tell me, in your experience of your extra 4 years, what have you realized about life?" The change of Usui's tone, brought the conversation into a different atmosphere.

"The longer you live, the more insurance payouts you get. So don't die." With a boring monotone, Misaki said.

"I think I should talk to you more often." Smiling, Usui said with a gentle tone.

"I don't know what you find entertaining, but ok." Misaki shrugged. Deep down, Misaki felt slightly humiliated due to the fact that Usui takes her as a joke.

"Good night, sweet dreams." Usui greeted.

"Good night." Finishing her sentence, Misaki hung the phone.

Looking at the mobile phone in her hands, Misaki frowned. After such a long conversation, she still has no idea why Usui called her. The whole conversation they shared had no clear objective. However, Misaki did take a mental note in her mind that she needs to look into insurance. Especially the type that benefits her when she's old.

"I wonder if I can live in a high class old folks home with my insurance payout..." While wondering about the amount of money she has to invest in insurance, Misaki slid back into her bed.

While Misaki contemplated about her insurance investment, Usui smiled to himself as he set Misaki's number as his speed dial. After talking to Misaki, despite the lack of a true objective in the conversation, Usui felt relieved from the negative emotions he showered himself in. Although Usui respects Misaki's dedication in her profession, Usui can't help but chuckle at the words that came out of Misaki's mouth.

...

10 AM in the coffee aroma filled office building, the sounds of keyboard dancing and high heels clicking filled up the silent gap within the air. As usual people in the editorial department of _Hana_ held another morning meeting trying to figure out the perfect theme that will boost their magazine sales, and as usual the meeting ended without a conclusion.

Sitting in her office while looking through the photos she took from the photo shoot from a few days ago, Misaki glanced at her phone for the 80th time in 2 hours. Misaki shook her head and took in a deep breath, she knows that has to stop thinking about whether her phone will ring today or not.

 _Knock! Knock!_ A soft knock drew Misaki's attention away.

"Yes?" Misaki slightly turned her spinning chair so she could face the door.

"Good morning, Ayuzawa." Igarashi Tora greeted.

"Morning! What brings you here?" Raising one of her eyebrows, Misaki asked Igarashi Tora. "Here to send another threatening letter, because our department won you in sales again?"

"Ahem! Giving out cute tote bags along with the purchase of the magazine should be considered as a cheating move." Smirking, Igarashi Tora pointed out.

"We have good sponsors." Misaki smiled and replied.

"In all seriousness, are you free from the 14-16?" Putting his hands in his pocket, Igarashi Tora asked.

"Schedule..." Turning around to look at the calender sticking on her wall, Misaki nodded then turned back. "Yep, no photo shoots yet. Why?"

"We are planning to do a nature themed photo shoot but we don't have enough photographers on that day. So I thought I should invite the least popular photographer from _Hana_ " Igarashi Tora said.

"You really like to challenge my limit, huh?" Smiling, in a slightly scary manner, Misaki pinched those words out of her teeth.

"Just joking." Slow nodding, Igarashi Tora added.

"You don't look apologetic at all." Misaki shook her head.

"Ok. Do you mind sparing some of your precious time O'Talented Photographer Ayuzawa Misaki?" Sarcastically, Igarashi Tora replied.

"Absolutely not, I'll go!" Misaki replied back with an even more sarcastic tone.

"Then I'll put you on the list, we'll be doing the photo shoot in the are some minor arrangements we need to make. Heads up, it will be overnight. So you and your assistant?" Switching back to business mode, Igarashi Tora informed.

"Understood. Yes, just the 2 of us. Any specific effect you and your team is looking for?" Misaki asked back.

"There will be some photos that will happen during sunset." Igarashi Tora answered.

"I'll bring cameras that have better exposure control. Anything else?" Taking notes on her tiny note pad, Misaki then asked.

"That's it, thanks for helping out." Nodding, Igarashi Tora said.

"No problem." With a fresh smile, Misaki replied.

"Then I'll be going." Igarashi Tora opened the door. "Bye"

"Bye~" Misaki waved.

 _Clack!_ The door of Misaki's office closed again.

Once the door was closed, Misaki resumed back into her work of selecting photos for the next edition of _Hana_. She couldn't decide whether the curves of the model look better when her hands are on her hips or on waist. Intensively, she switched between the two photos in sonic speed causing her screen to jump back and forth between two pictures.

"Misaki!" A loud voice came with the slam of the open door.

"Wah!" Misaki's heart also rushed out of her rib cage. "Editor Honoka?!"

"This never gets old." Honoka whispered to herself then turned to Misaki. "Hi!"

"Yes?" Trying to sooth her thumping heart, Misaki asked.

"Just wanted to know when you can give the photos." Honoka said.

"Before lunch, I'm almost done." Looking straight into Honoka's eyes, Misaki replied.

"No need to rush, was just checking on the progress." Smiling, Honoka replied. "By the way, why did Igarashi Tora visit?"

"He asked me to do a photo shoot for _Yume_ which will happen from 14-16. Oh right, please let my schedule be open for those 3 days." Misaki said.

"Did he ask... anything else?" Honoka blinked her eyes.

"Nope." Misaki shook her head."

"Ok!" Honoka smiled. "I'll not disturb you, bye~" Finishing her sentence, Honoka shut Misaki's office door.

Without any thought, Misaki resumed back into her work. She never really understood why Editor Honoka or other colleagues would always barge into her office and ask her questions about Igarashi Tora. It doesn't really bother Misaki, but Misaki is just puzzled by this repeated occurance just like how she doesn't under the fashion trend of socks with sandals.

Outside of Misaki's office, Honoka gestured a large "X" with both of her arms. The signal of her gesture caused a few sighs and a few curses to be heard around the office. Putting her hand down, Honoka smirked and got her right hand out. With her cherry pink colored lipstick lined lips, Honoka worded "Pay up". One by one, some employees stood up and began putting paper bills into Honoka's hands. When all the losers put the money into Honoka's hand, Honoka then gestured for the people who won the bet to enter her office for the money distribution.

Igarashi Tora likes Misaki, that is a fact also an entertainment for both the offices of _Hana_ and _Yume_. No one can truly point out when Igarashi Tora began to feel affectionate towards Misaki, but everyone knows that Igarashi Tora isn't doing very well with pursuing Misaki. Mainly caused by Misaki's density in relationships. Everytime Igarashi Tora comes to the _Hana_ office to talk to Misaki, the whole office would engage in a bet to see whether Igarashi Tora will finally ask Misaki out on a date. So far, Igarashi Tora asked 8 times but Misaki was either busy or assumed that it was an office joint drinking party. There has been people who suggested Igarashi Tora to directly tell Misaki how he feels, but Igarashi Tora has difficulties with lowering his pride. To justify, Igarashi Tora never had to ask a girl out, everyone goes to him; except for Misaki.

Good luck, Igarashi Tora.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own anything.**

 **Elegant Beings**

Staring at her large and round fluorescent light on her ceiling wall, Misaki can't help but question her own existence. Misaki lied down on her back while feeling the pain on her shoulders from carrying the camera and attempting to move her stiffy legs. For Misaki, she enjoys the mental fulfillment of working through a busy day of work, but at the same time, she can't deny the physical life force her work sucks out of her body.

"Am I growing old?" Slowly blinking her eyes, Misaki softly smiled when she realized how silly her words were. "I'm not even 30 yet."

Taking in a deep breath, Misaki pushed herself up to reject the lazy feeling her previous posture gave. Stretching her aching legs, within her mind, Misaki reviewed her work schedule for tomorrow. Thinking about the different photoshoots she has to do tomorrow, Misaki began thinking about the lense and lighting that would best pull compliment the theme.

"Hahaha... I'm such a boring person." Realizing that only work is on her mind, Misaki found herself extremely pathetic.

 _Bzzzzzzz~_ A sound of a vibrating device entered Misaki's ears. She searched for the sound source and realized it was her that was still in her bag. Reaching for her bag, Misaki scooped around to find the electronic device.

"Hello, this is Ayuzawa from _Hana_ photography department." The usual phrase with the usual tone.

"Sup, sexy." A flirty voice entered Misaki's ears.

"..." Releasing a deep sigh, Misaki pinched the bridge of her nose. "Usui Takumi, what is it this time?"

Ever since Usui received Misaki's phone number, he has been calling her quite often. Not everyday, but on average 3 times a week. Everytime he calls Misaki, Usui would try to think of a new way to greet/ annoy her.

"Oh my, so defensive!" Acting scared, Usui said.

"...ok" Misaki didn't know what to reply. "Can you stop calling me as your time passing activity?"

"Hahaha, no. Out of all seriousness, I heard that you're joining the nature themed photoshoot. Is that true?" From Usui's tone, a tint of excitement can be sensed.

"Errr... give me a second." Reaching for her schedule book, Misaki flipped through a few pages. "Oh yes, wow I almost forgot about this."

"Then I guess I'll see you there." Usui said.

"You're one of the models?" Misaki asked as she rolled back on her back.

"Yeah, ready to take more pictures of me?" Chuckling, Usui asked.

"..." Pulling her face away from the device, Misaki displayed a complicated facial expression. While Misaki enjoys taking pictures of beautiful models, but recalling her work experience with Usui did not create any incentive for her to feel the desire to work with Usui.

"Queen Misa, we had really nice photo results from the photo shoot last time, don't you agree?" On the other side of the phone, Usui began humming his parody version of a certain famous movie theme song.

"Please don't call me by that name..." Rolling her eyes, Misaki couldn't hide the slight annoyance in her voice.

"Sorry, didn't mean to tease you." A bright laugh followed the end of the sentence.

"So apologetic, wow." With Usui, Misaki wasn't afraid of using sarcasm. "By the way, how's the kitten?"

"Yeah, she's getting used to the environment and all." Misaki's question reminded Usui that it was time for him to feed the cat.

"Have you named the kitten yet?" Standing up, Misaki decided to go pour herself a cup of water.

"Not yet." Opening the cabinet, Usui took out a can of cat food. "Any ideas."

"I'm not good with names." Looking at her digital alarm clock, Misaki realized it was time for her to engage in serious activities, such as work. "Yeah, I should get back to work. You should really find new people to harass. I'm pretty sure there's some cute and young girl that would love to share a conversation with you."

"It has to be you."

"!?" Shocked by the words that entered her ears, Misaki shrugged all the unnecessary thoughts off her shoulders. "You're going to say that I'm your only friend or something along those lines, huh?"

"Will I?" Smirking on the other end of the phone, Usui said.

"I'm really going to hang now. Night." Finishing her sentence, Misaki pressed the red button on her screen.

Putting her phone down, Misaki finished drinking the cup of water she poured for herself. The emptiness in her stomach has caused Misaki to open the fridge and select one of the frozen foods. While heating up her food, Misaki couldn't help but think about the tiny role she plays in this capitalistic society and wonders if she should purchase a land to grow vegetables when she grows old.

...

As the busy days passing by like a crazy dog chasing after a rubber ball, the day for Misaki's overnight photoshoot arrived. She will spend 3 days and 2 nights in a villa in the mountains with a large crew, 5 photographers and their assistants, 10 stylist and makeup artist, and 15 models. _Yume_ wanted to create a special edition to celebrate their 500th edition, and the concept was longevity. When mentioned about the connection between longevity and the mountains the editors of present a long and detailed presentation on the circle of life, but the actual reason is simply because the editors thought it would be cool. Excluding all the details, Misaki arrived to the mountains on a bus rented by the publishing company.

"I guess this is the power of money." That was the first word Misaki said when she saw the villa she would be living for the next few days.

"Wow." Yukimura, Misaki's assistant blinked once, then twice. "Thank you for accepting this job, Ayuzawa-san."

"We have to thank Igarashi." Misaki reminded.

"I agree." Nodding, Yukimura said.

The building that stood in front of Misaki and Yukimura wasn't the largest house they've seen, but it was one with the most intricate design. Standing out within the various shades of greens in the woods, the natural wood color of the building formed a contrast of delight. The large glass windows revealed the modern interior design of the villa. Anyone could tell that the owner of the villa has a splendid taste.

"No time to be impressed." Snapping out of her thoughts, Misaki mumbled. "We're here to work, Yukimura."

"Yes." Yukimura obediently replied.

"Let's get to work." From her pocket, Misaki took out a hairband. Swiftly, she combined all the locks and formed a neat ponytail that swung behind her head.

"Open."

"Ah!" Misaki felt something poking her neck. Frowning, she turned around.

"Yo." It was Usui.

"Don't scare me." The frown on Misaki's face remained there.

"Good day, Usui-san." Yukimura greeted as he blushed. He has never seen such handsome features. Perhaps, Misaki may be the only person who doesn't blush when she sees Usui.

"Good day to you too." Politely, Usui replied.

"What are you doing here?" Misaki asked.

"To meet Totoro." Playfully, Usui answered. "I'm going to get ready and head up the mountains for one of the photoshoots."

"Who's your photographer?" Out of curiosity, Misaki asked.

"What I know is that, it's not you." With confidence, Usui answered.

"?" Puzzled, Misaki stared at Usui; since Misaki didn't receive a model list of whom she will be working for the next few days.

"Go ask Igarashi Tora." Chuckling Usui replied. Apparently, Igarashi Tora got slightly cautious on the interaction between Usui and Misaki. So Igarashi Tora professionally utilized his authorities for a cause that benefits him. "Then, I'll be going now. Good luck with work."

"Thanks." Misaki replied. Standing beside Misaki, Yukimura smiled and nodded.

"When did you becomes such good friends with Usui Takumi?" Looking at his boss, Yukimura asked.

"I don't know, maybe he's desperate for my insurance payouts." Shrugging, Misaki replied. "Enough of chit chatting, we have a busy schedule for the day."

As Misaki said, Yukimura and her had an extremely busy day. Due to the fact that the setting of the photoshoot wasn't in a studio, everything was different from what Misaki and Yukimura were accustomed to. However, challenges, especially the ones in work, don't intimidate Misaki.

Throughout the day, Misaki and Yukimura may have burnt more than just enough calories just by hiking up and down the mountain with the heavy camera equipment. Despite all the hard work the crew had to go through, the photos turned out stunning. Under the help of natural lighting and the beautiful setting of the woods, every photo may be considered as pieces of artwork.

After a hard day of work, Misaki and Yukimura finally had the time to take their rest. When Misaki and Yukimura completed the work of cleaning and organizing the photoshoot equipments, they headed straight for the dining room. Since there were limited space within the villa, the crew members decided to use the dining room as a common space for people to rest and socialize. Though Misaki and Yukimura weren't in the mood for socializing, the dining room had food.

Sitting down at the large and round table, Misaki made her and Yukimura each a cup of tea and also grabbed a few snacks. While they rested and engaged in a some daily conversation, the senior photographer of the crew entered the room. Before the senior photographer entered the room, Misaki could hear his old man laugh coming down the hallway. To be frank, Misaki isn't a big fan of this particular photographer. She can't recall a single piece of pleasant memory when she thinks about this senior photographer.

"Ahhh, I'm so tired." Entering the dining room, the senior photographer slammed his large butt onto one of the chairs at the large round table. "Make me a cup of tea, as hot as possible."

"Understood." The senior photographer's assistant, a little girl who looked like she just graduated from art school replied to the demands.

" _I don't even want to look at him."_ Misaki thought to herself, as she moved her chair closer to Yukimura's chair.

"Here is your tea." The assistant returned.

"You stand here." The senior photographer commanded.

"..." Suddenly the facial expression of the assistant began to change. From a face exhausted from work, the assistant's facial expression became one that had a mixture of disgust, frustration, and impotent.

Noticing the change in the atmosphere, Misaki shifted her focus back onto the senior photographer and the assistant. In a split second, Misaki understood what was going on.

It was quite obvious, the senior photographer was physically molesting one of the younger photography assistants. As if he was attempting to show off, the senior photographer didn't even try to hide the fact that he was groping the assitant's butt. From the face of the assistant, everyone could notice the tears that were about to flow out her eyes.

"..." Misaki looked around, everyone's eyes avoided making eye contact with that particular senior photographer. If Misaki took a picture with her phone for evidence, it will definitely alert the molester.

 **Fun fact: All phones in Japan have a loud shutter sound that can't be turned off or silenced. The purpose of this function is to avoid any vulgar photos to be taken without consent.**

Immediately, Misaki stood up from her seat and began approaching the senior photographer. According to her understanding of this particular senior photographer, straight forward confrontations would only trigger an unnecessary dramatic response due to his over the top ego. Even if Misaki is able to help this poor assistant at this moment, she won't be able to save the assistant once the photography session is over. On the other hand, if Misaki attempts to shame the senior photographer, the consequences will most probably land on the poor assistant.

"Can you come help me move some of the equipment outside?" Holding onto the assistant's hands, Misaki asked.

"Go command your own assistant." Harsh and cold, the senior photographer responded.

"Sorry, but my assistant kind of sprained his ankle during the hike so he can't really help me carry those large equipments." With the most diplomatic tone, Misaki lied.

"Doesn't excuse him from his job." The senior photographer snorted.

"I have an assistant, not a slave." While smiling, Misaki responded. "Just let me borrow her for a little while."

The tension within the room began to rise. No one dared to breath nor speak. Misaki continued to grip her hands around the poor assistant's hands as she held in the urger of punching the senior photographer right on the spot.

 _Creak~_ The sound of the door opening brought a small relief to stiff atmosphere. Standing at the entrance of the room, Usui just completed a photo shoot minutes ago. It didn't take long for Usui to figure out the situation.

"..." Speechless, Usui glared at everyone in the room, except for Misaki. Shifting his focus to a cup of hot tea sitting on the table, Usui walked towards the table without any delay.

Without any notice, Usui took the hot cup of tea and poured it right above the senior photographer's head. As Usui poured down the steaming hot liquid, his eyes didn't blink, he glared at the sexual harasser with disgust.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Standing up with anger, the senior photographer took the mug in Usui's hands and smashed it on the floor.

The sound of glass shattering indicated the start of an aggressive conflict that the rest of the camera crew cannot ignore.

"You need to clear your mind." Usui said to the senior photographer with a straight face.

"Who do you think you are?" Enlarging his nostrils, the senior photographer screamed.

Bending down, Usui picked up the sharpest and largest piece of broken glass. After standing up, Usui placed the sharp piece of glass upon the the senior photographer's hands.

"Who do you think you are?" Tilting his head with a psychotic facial expression on his face, Usui asked. The shard of glass lightly pinched into the skin of the senior photographer. "Here's another question. Why need those hands if they are not going to do any good?"

"I can get you fired." The senior photographer said with panic.

"You can try." With a smile that glowed with sadism, Usui replied.

"Snap out of it!" Slapping the shard of glass of Usui's hands, Misaki exclaimed. Deep down, Misaki internally screamed. " _He can sue you for physical harm!"_

When the shard of glass was slapped away, the senior photographer exclaimed out of relief. However, it wasn't the end of the conflict.

"Sir, I have taken a photo as evidence of your crimes sexual harassment." During the chaotic situation, Misaki utilized the noise created by the chaos to hide the sounds of the camera shutter. With a softer volume, Misaki spoke right next to the ears of the senior photographer. "I've sent the pictures to the chief editor of _Yume_ already. Just because people don't vocally speak up, it doesn't mean they are your partners in crime."

The senior photographer looked around, everyone in the room glared at him with eyes of disgust. Every single pair of eyes leaked the aura of judgement and hostile emotions. What goes around comes around.

With a gentle pull, Misaki moved the assistant away from the senior photographer. Having the young girl stand behind her, Misaki turned herself into the wall that separated the assistant ahd the senior photographer. Turning around to the assistant, Misaki apologized for taking a picture without the assistant's consent, especially when it's a photo that has nothing but negative connotations attached too. Obviously the assistant didn't blame Misaki for anything, but instead hugged Misaki tightly as she cried in her arms.

"It's all going to be fine." Patting the assistant's head, Misaki repeated. Misaki could tell, this poor little girl probably endured a lot of shame and hardship.

 _Ding!_ A short and clean sound of a message notification entered the phone of the senior photographer. Without any doubt, it was a message from the human resource department of the publishing company. Everyone simply stared at the phone then glared at the senior photographer.

"I won't let this slip this easily!" Picking up his phone while shouting, the senior photographer stormed out of the room.

"Shameful bystanders." Whispering to himself, Usui scanned the faces of the people in the room.

Though Misaki didn't stand right next to Usui, she could still hear the mumble from her position. While she agrees with Usui on many different aspects, she believes that leaving Usui in this room won't do any good.

"Your hands are bleeding." Sighing, Misaki pulled Usui out of the dining room. "I'll treat your wounds, come with me."

In a separate room, Misaki took out the first-aid kit and examined the tiny wounds in the palms of Usui. She used the rubbing alcohol to sterilize the inside of the wound then applied some medicine. During this process, neither her nor Usui said anything. However, Misaki decided to break the silence.

"Please act a little bit more rational." Staring into Usui's eyes, Misaki scolded.

"How can you be rational towards someone like him?" Usui defended.

"There are more peaceful methods to resolve." Sighing, Misaki shook her head. Though she understood that anger that was ignited within Usui, she still believes that his method of resolution isn't the best.

"Those type of trash will never learn until they feel physically threatened." Staring at the wounds in the palm of his hands, Usui felt the stinging pain pulsing in his veins.

"Well, at least don't act like a psycho from some superhero movie." Frowning, Misaki glared at the man in front of her. What worried the most about Misaki wasn't the consequences, it was Usui putting himself at the stake of risk.

"So, you think I'm a mentally stable person?" Raising one of his eyebrows, Usui asked. "That's an assumption?"

"..." Misaki simply stared at Usui, she sensed the defensive wall Usui has built. "If I offended you, I am sincerely sorry."

"..." The instant apology Misaki gave, caused Usui to soften his position. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to have such an attitude."

"Don't worry, I understand that I have violated your comfort zone." Misaki attempted to soothe the tension between Usui and her. "But, thank you for standing up for that photography assistant. Though I do not agree with what you did, I still want to thank you."

"It's something anyone should do." Looking into the distance, Usui said.

For the next day, Usui and Misaki didn't share a single conversation. Though they would greet each other politely if they met. There's no specific tension between the two of them, but the scene of Usui acting psychotic couldn't leave Misaki's mind. For the rest of the remaining days they spent in the mountains, they still haven't talked to each other yet.

...

"So... How have you been?" A calm looking man pushed his glasses and asked Usui.

Sitting calmly in his chair, Usui looked out the window. A million of thoughts rushed through his head like neon lights rapidly flashing in the dark corners of his mind. Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, these simple actions soothed Usui. Slowly, his eyelids became heavier and heavier. The soft sunshine transmitted through the window acted as a lullaby that sung Usui into sleep.

"Don't fall asleep during your therapy." The man with glasses kicked Usui's chair to distract Usui's peaceful moment.

"Ah! Dr. Kanou." Usui sniffed twice to imitate the sound of a person crying. "Don't punish me. I don't like injections..."

"..." Kanou gave Usui a blank stare. Kanou Soutaro, a psychologist and certified therapist, also Usui's therapist. "You are one of the patients that I have a hard time dealing with."

"Oh well." Staring out the window of Dr. Kanou's office, Usui's gaze focused on the clouds that slowly drifted through the vast blue sky. "Even I don't understand why I purposely give people a hard time and eventually hurting them."


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own anything.**

 **For those who are still following this story, I'm sorry that I haven't been updating in awhile. I haven't been able to write due to my busy schedule (more like struggling to maintain mental stability in university), and I also felt a drain in creativity. No matter how hard I tried to write, my fingers couldn't hit the keyboard. Sorry that I didn't inform about my sudden break. Now, I'm back for good.**

 **Suggested BGM- AM2:00 by Aimer**

 **Elegant Beings**

Scrolling down the wikipedia page, Misaki squinted her eyes. The distress she felt from looking at the white spaces on the webpage, never in Misaki's life has she seen such an empty wikipedia page. Clicking away from the webpage, the google search bar revealed Misaki's secret search "Usui Takumi".

"Is he secretly an agent or something?" Scratching her head, Misaki can't seem to wrap her mind around the lack of information on Usui. In this era when privacy is the synonym to myth, the lack of information on Usui really bothers Misaki.

Scrolling down the page, Misaki found that Usui has an official twitter account. She clicked into the link that virtually transports her into Usui's personal internet space. Within seconds, the color blue began to fill up Misaki's computer screen. Boxes and boxes of text stacked up like a jenga tower. Surprisingly, Usui doesn't have as many followers as Misaki expected. Looking at the circle on the left corner of the screen, Usui's profile picture is him holding a kitten up to cover half of his face.

"Is that he cat he adopted?" Putting her face close to the screen, Misaki asked herself.

Unconsciously, Misaki began scrolling through Usui's tweets. However, Usui does not tweet a lot. Most of the tweets were work related but there were a few extremely random tweets.

 _Sometimes I wonder if cats can read minds._

 _Fuwa Fuwa Omurice._

"..." Speechlessly, Misaki scrolled through a series of nonsense tweets.

 _Ring~_

"Ah!" Along with the sudden ring from her mobile phone, Misaki flinched. The guilt of stalking Usui online made Misaki felt slightly uncomfortable. Quickly, Misaki picked up her phone. "Hello?"

"Ayuzawa Misaki?" The voice from the other side of the phone asked.

"Yes." Misaki replied.

"This is Igarashi Tora." Tora properly introduced himself.

"Oh, hi. Did not expect you to call. Is there something wrong with the photos?" Misaki associates work strongly with Igarashi Tora, so she can't think of any other reasons why Igarashi Tora would call her.

"Nope Nope. Nothing wrong with work." Quickly, Igarashi Tora clarified.

"Ok... Phew" Misaki said in relief.

"So, actually I called to talk about the senior photographer last time." Entering the topic, Igarashi Tora informed.

"Oh, so...?" Misaki asked.

"He's an established senior photographer so things got kind of complicated." Igarashi Tora explained.

"Oh..." Misaki's tone leaked some disappointment.

"But someone sent those photos to his wife, and now she's filing a divorce. Apparently they figured out that the senior photographer has multiple affairs. Long story short, he will 'quit' his job soon." Sharing the news, Igarashi Tora smiled.

"I hope karma will finally work." Sighing, Misaki said. Though she is happy that the senior photographer is getting fired, but she doesn't know if that senior photographer will ever reflect on his own actions.

"We will eventually see." Igarashi Tora replied. "Wait, what? Hey!"

"Are you ok?" The sounds coming from the other end confused Misaki.

"Hey." A deep and soothing voice replaced Igarashi Tora's voice.

"...Usui?" Confused, Misaki asked.

"Hahahah, so you recognize my voice." Chuckling, Usui replied.

"Why are you with Igarashi Tora?" Misaki asked to avoid the question.

"He's my roommate" Usui replied.

"You don't even pay rent." A distance voice from the phone added.

"What a small world." Misaki said. "So... what's the matter?"

"Just wanted to say...Hahahahahha" Usui couldn't hold in his laughter, but he endured the the urge and continued. "For liking my tweet from 2 years ago."

"Huh..?" Quickly switching her gaze to her computer screen, Misaki saw her tiny cursor landing on the heart icon of the tweet. Misaki's eyes became wide open, then she realized the flinching movement she did when her phone rang must have caused her to accidentally hit the left click button. "!"

"I thought I was supposed to be the stalker." Usui laughed and said.

"I...!" Out of embarrassment, Misaki blushed from her cheeks until her ears felt the heat too. Not knowing what to do, Misaki hung up the phone to cover her embarrassment. "Goodbye!"

Throwing her phone onto her bed, Misaki covered her face with both of her hands. The shame of being caught stalking someone tickled the bottom of Misaki's heart, causing her to have a weird feeling within. Taking in a deep breath, then peaking back at the computer screen, Misaki realized something different. Usually Misaki doesn't really use her twitter, so she doesn't receive much notifications. Opening the notification, Misaki received news that a certain alien from planet pheromone started following her on twitter.

"Ayuzawa Misaki... you could have been really cool about it..." Rubbing her forehead, Misaki realized that her dramatic reaction is just causing more embarrassment for herself.

The sound of line dropping entered the ears of Usui but he could only hear himself laughing. After laughing for awhile, Usui took in a deep breath to properly end his laughing session. Staring at the phone screen, Usui grinned.

"Time to give me back my phone?" Raising one of his eyebrows, Igarashi Tora coughed.

"Wait, let me check your google searches first." Turning his back away from Igarashi Tora, Usui said.

"Seriously." Rolling his eyes, Igarashi Tora stormed towards Usui and grabbed his own phone away.

"Big bro, chill~" Playfully, Usui raised both of his hands in the air. "I'll go out for a night walk."

Without any delay, Usui jumped off the couch and grabbed his jacket and cap then left the apartment soon after. Igarashi Tora slouched into the couch and watch Usui walk out of the apartment.

"So he does laugh, huh?" A few seconds after Usui left the apartment, Igarashi Tora said to himself. Igarashi Tora lived with Usui for quite awhile now, but they rarely exchange dialogues or spend time together. He was quite surprised when Usui displayed a slight tint of emotion today. Placing his sight back onto his phone screen, Igarashi Tora suddenly had a really bad feeling. He quickly opened his contacts, and scrolled through his long list of contacts, but couldn't find that one specific contact. "That bastard!"

Strolling down the dark streets, Usui unconsciously began humming. Recalling back the short moment he and Misaki had on the phone, Usui couldn't help but smile. After the photoshoot in the mountains, Usui wanted to call Misaki to break the ice. He knew that his reaction wasn't the best that day, but he didn't know how to talk to Misaki either. Though he wanted to talk to her, he has no proper justification to do so. Afterall, Usui wasn't really sure if Misaki and him are even considered as friends.

 _Ting!_ A light sound pulled Usui back to reality. Taking his phone out of his pocket, Usui read the message sent by Igarashi Tora.

 _How dare you? I'm technically your landlord._

Smirking, Usui texted back. _I didn't delete her contact, just changed the name. Also, I just deleted the phone calling history. We stan a treasure hunting king._

 _You will pay for this._ In a split second, Igarashi Tora texted back.

Despite the mischievous pranks Usui would play on Igarashi Tora, Usui always manages to ensure the pranks are within a good limit. Originally, Usui planned to just completely delete Misaki's contact; however, he realized that he has no reason nor authority to cut the contacts between Igarashi Tora and Misaki.

Stopping his footsteps, Usui looked up into the sky and sighed loudly. "Why do I even want to delete her contacts from his phone..."

...

The busy footsteps walking throughout the office building played along to the prelude of the morning of the busy city. Walking slowly towards her office, Misaki could feel the effects of her insomnia. After hanging up the phone last night, Misaki suffered from embarrassment replay syndrome, which is a common disease among people with anxiety in which they uncontrollably reply the embarrassing moments in their life. Not a medical certified disease.

Taking a deep breath, Misaki slapped her own face lightly. She can't let her own mistakes and anxiety overtake her professionalism. However, Misaki knew that she needed caffeine to help her push through the day, so she decided that she should grab herself a canned coffee after the first photoshoot of the day.

"Morning, Yukimura." Misaki greeted her assistant.

"Morning." Yukimura greeted back.

"If I'm not wrong, we have a photoshoot with the reader model who won the popularity poll, right?" Misaki asked.

"Actually... the model was sent to the hospital this morning..." Yukimura awkwardly smiled.

"Is she ok?" Frowning out of worry, Misaki asked.

"She got an appendix removal, so I think so.." Yukimura replied. "She probably won't be out of the hospital until 3 days later."

"So we are free for the morning schedule?" Misaki sat down in her chair and asked. "Ah... does this mean the whole schedule is messed up?"

"Nope, the editor soon came up with an alternative plan. So the morning photoshoot will happen with another model." From the stack of documents on the table, Yukimura picked out one document and passed it to Misaki.

"Thanks." While reading the document, Misaki nodded. "So it's going to be one about... what?!"

"Yes?" Reacting to his Misaki's exclamation of confusion, Yukimura responded.

"Electronic appliances for people living alone?" Misaki scrutinized the letters with her amber eyes.

"I think the editing department wanted to target university students who are living on their own." Yukimura suggested.

Seeing the name of the model that will be featured within the magazine issue, Misaki couldn't help but rolled her eyes. "The editor department just wants to bring Usui Takumi into the office."

"..I don't know how to counter that." Yukimura looked away from Misaki. As Misaki's assistant, Yukimura witnessed most of the interaction Misaki and Usui shared. "Our assignment has changed to shooting Usui Takumi... The editing department contacted them earlier and all is set"

"I... please don't' tell me we are going to shoot pictures of him holding the vacuum cleaner from the commercial he featured in." Reflected in Misaki's enlarge eyes was a mixture of fear and frustration.

"Hahahhaa..." From the side of his chair, Yukimura pulled out a vacuum cleaner from a particular brand. Laughing awkwardly, Yukimura felt a sense of shame for being called out by Misaki.

"Capitalism..." Shaking her head, Misaki sighed.

"Ayuzawa-san, is it ok if I ask you a personal question?" Yukimura asked as he put the vacuum cleaner down.

"Yes?" Misaki responded.

"Are you ok with Usui-san after the senior photographer incident?" Yukimura asked.

"Hmm... I guess we are?" Thinking for a while, Misaki continued. "I just have this feeling that he purposely provokes my reaction for fun."

"Kind of like elementary school kids?" Yukimura asked.

"Especially since he's younger, so it feels like tutoring all over again." Recalling her various part time jobs, Misaki sighed. "But he's not a bad person, just playful."

"I see, I was kind of worried about the tension between you two." Expressing his concern, Yukimura said.

"I'm as confused as you. By the way, why are you in charge of bringing the vacuum cleaner... wait." Staring her eyes wide, Misaki stared at Yukimura.

"I was part of the proposal...and... I want him to sign on my vacuum cleaner." Shyly, Yukimura confessed.

"Even Yukimura?" Deep down Misaki thought about Usui's face and the popularity his face brought him. "Sinful looks."

Without any further a due, Misaki and Yukimura began preparing the necessary things for the photoshoot today. Around 10:00 AM, the photographer and her assistant walked towards the designated photo studio. In front of the large metal doors, Misaki and Yukimura bumped into Usui and his manager.

"Good morning. Sorry for the sudden contact this morning." Politely nodding, Misaki apologized.

"Though the notice was certainly short, but we were coincidentally free." The manager replied.

Silently nodding and rubbing his half closed eyes, Usui's body gesture suggested otherwise.

"We will try to get the photoshoot done as soon as possible." Bowing her head down, Misaki apologized again. "Once again, I apologize on behalf on our company for the late notice."

"...Don't worry." While staring at Misaki with his drowsy eyes that may close shut at any minute, Usui's hands reached out and patted Misaki on the head. "I'll do it because it's for you."

"Usui!" Rapidly, the manager gently moved Usui's hands away from Misaki's head. "I'm so sorry, he must not be awake yet."

"Don't worry. Don't worry." Misaki repeated. "Yukimura why don't you show them where the makeup room is, so we don't waste too much time."

"Yes. Please follow me." Yukimura then guided Usui and the manager down the long hallway.

While watching the manager and Usui disappear down the hallway, Misaki touched the top of her head, the exact spot that Usui patted. Somehow, that one particular spot Usui patted felt extra warm.

...

After the photo shoot, Misaki decided to take a short coffee break before she hurries off to another photo studio for another project. Misaki decided to buy a canned coffee from the lonely vending machine that stands right next to the staircase. As a habit, Misaki would always stand in the corner of the tiny section to finish her coffee. Before Misaki began drinking her coffee, Usui appeared.

"Good work today." Usui greeted as he bought a bottle of black tea from the vending machine.

"Good work to you too." Misaki greeted back as she opened her canned coffee.

While Misaki focused on enjoying the first sip of her coffee, she had an uncomfortable feeling that her personal space was being invaded. Especially from her shoulders, she felt like something muscular was pressing against her. Looking to her side, Miskai realized that Usui was squeezing next to her in that tiny corner of the section.

"You know that you're a tall man, right?" Signalling the spatial invasion, Misaki warned. "A slightly muscular one too."

"..." Usui simply stared at Misaki, then put both of his hands up in the air. "Telephone pole."

"... Am I supposed to laugh?" Giving an awkward smile, Misaki asked.

"Do you know how to laugh?" Putting his hands down, Usui raised one of his eyebrows as if he was challenging Misaki.

"Seriously." Using her elbow, Misaki gave Usui a hit. With a soft chuckle, Misaki continued. "Just because you laugh too often doesn't mean I don't laugh at all."

"Wow, that's a first." Opening his bottle of tea, Usui took a sip.

"Was that supposed to be sarcasm?" Misaki asked.

"Nope, serious." Nodding, Usui replied. Looking straight into Misaki's eyes, Usui's stare almost burned Misaki's cheeks. "You think I laugh a lot?"

"Hmm..." Slightly intimidated by the stare, Misaki flinched back. Within Misaki's mind, she processed some past encounters, then concluded. "It's because you enjoy teasing me."

"Bingo." With a killer smile, Usui said.

"Argh." Rolling her eyes, Misaki decided to not make a comment and drink her coffee.

"You just bump into me in the weirdest moments." Usui said. "The cat cafe, the subway, twitter..."

"You pouring water on senior photographers..." Sneakily, Misaki mentioned about the incident.

"Hm. Funny." Usui said.

"Haha." A dry laugh highlighted the sarcasm coming from Misaki.

"I was indeed impulsive, and I'm reflecting on it." Usui admitted his faults.

"So you sent pictures to his wife?" Smirking, Misaki asked.

When Igarashi Tora told Misaki that an anonymous person sent pictures of the senior photographer's wife, Misaki knew it was Usui. From her observation, it appears that Usui has a strong hatred for power abusers and sexual harassers. Though on the surface, Usui may appear to be calm and collected, but she could tell that there is this slight passive aggression within him.

"..." Glancing back at Misaki, Usui couldn't help but to smile. He was impressed that Misaki figured out it was him. However, he wasn't going to admit it right away. "What will you do if I am the person who sent it? Does the good boy get a reward?"

"Buy you another bottle of tea?" Shrugging, Misaki replied.

"I imagined the reward to be more sexy." Usui smiled.

"I feel like you and I, we are connected by a series of coincidences and accidents." Taking a sip of her canned coffee, Misaki ignored Usui's flirtatious words and attempted to change a topic.

"At least we're connected." Staring at Misaki, Usui said.

"Is that a good thing?" Glancing towards Usui, Misaki made firm eye contact with him.

"What do you think?" Putting up his classic despicable smile, Usui leaned towards Misaki.

"No comment." Usui's approaching body created a shadow that covered Misaki's face. Perhaps it was due to the height difference, Misaki slightly shrunk towards the corner. The soft breathing of Usui came with a faint scent of sweet black tea. Staying wary, Misaki was ready to attack Usui if it's necessary.

Slowly, Usui continued to lean towards Misaki. He placed his face right next to Misaki and whispered into her ears. "I think meeting you is the best thing that happened to me since I came to Japan."

With the corner of his eye, Usui spotted the usual red color that spread across the well proportioned facial features on Misaki's face. Even though Usui's face wasn't making direct body contact with Misaki, he could feel her rise in body temperature. Raising the facial muscles around his mouth, Usui smirked. "So, how are my acting skills?"

Enlarging her eyes, Misaki then turned around to look straight into Usui's eyes. "You... did not just..."

"Next month I'm featuring in UxMishi's new music video." Standing back up straight, Usui continued. "Convincing acting skills?"

Taking in a deep breath, Misaki felt a sense of humiliation burning in her. With a slightly harder tone, Misaki said, "No."

"I guess I really should accept the drama classes my manager offered." Rubbing his chin, Usui contemplated.

"Well, good luck on the filming of the music video. Try not to pull any pranks on the producers. Now excuse me, 'cause I have some photos to sort out." Shaking her head, Misaki sighed. Squeezing out of the small corner, Misaki walked away from the vending machine.

Watching Misaki walk away into the hallway, Usui mumbled. "I guess dishonesty is a personality trait we share."


End file.
